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Monthly Archives: March 2012

111th Canton Fair is held in Pazhou Complex, Guangzhou, from April 15, 2012 to May 5, 2012. Due to various products that are focused here, Canton Fair will be divided into 3 phases for convenience and every phase provides a complete package of 5 days business & trade networking among international visitors & China exhibitors. The details are as follows:

Business Discussion during Canton Fair

Aim at which kind of product you are interested in, and make a reasonable schedule for your trip. By the way, there are several days you can make use of to do other things between these 3 Phases. To take a visit to Guangzhou or try the local food can be a nice choice to relax yourself from business.

Yum cha, in Cantonese literally means “drink tea”, is a Cantonese style morning or afternoon tea, which involves drinking Chinese tea and eating dim sum dishes. To try it is not only a good way to learn about Cantonese culture, but also an interesting experience to taste some yummy food.

Yum cha primarily refers to the tradition of morning tea in Cantonese cuisine exemplified by the traditional tea houses of Guangzhou. Due to the prevalence of Cantonese cuisine outside China, yum cha tradition can be found in many parts of the world. If you have a chance to visit Guangzhou, you should not miss a genuine one here.

Shrimp Dumplings

Similarly to a Western morning or afternoon tea, despite the name, yum cha is focused as much on the food items served with the tea as the tea itself. These food items are collectively known as “dim sum”, a varied range of small dishes which may constitute or replace breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea. Dishes are usually steamed or fried and may be savoury or sweet, including steamed buns, rice noodle rolls and desserts. All of them are exquisite and delicious.

Steamed Pork Dumplings

During yum cha, it is customary to pour tea for others before filling one’s own tea cup and it is most gracious to be the first to pour tea. When tea drinkers tap the table with two (occasionally one) fingers of the same hand, an action known as finger kowtow, it is an expression of gratitude to the member of the party who filled their cups, so do not forget to tap the table with your fingers if you are there.

Canton Fair, also known as China Import and Export Fair, is coming. It is the largest trade fair in China and this spring edition, to be held from April 15 to May 5, 2012 in Guangzhou, marks the 111th session since 1957.

Since China is the largest producer of heavy equipment, machinery, consumer goods and hundreds of other items, Canton fair, organized in 3 phases each season, is a good place where vendors and factory owners from all over China and Asia congregate all at once and you can easily find a vendor that either carries what you want to sell or can make what you want to sell.

Pazhou Complex Inside

You can collect information about your target products on the internet, but you can’t see the samples and their quality online and fortunately, what’s awesome about the Canton Fair is that you can meet the suppliers with samples and even visit their market and factories. Most of the suppliers deal with US or European companies on a regular basis so they have the experience and infrastructure to export products to wherever you live. The other good news is that a good number of these vendors speak English.

Pazhou Complex Entrance and Exit

Canton Fair offers a lot of business opportunities, and the transportation, accommodation, tourism and food in Guangzhou are also very nice, so it is highly advised for the businessman from all over the world to join the upcoming Canton Fair.

There are many T-shirt shops or booths along the sides of West Street which have become one of the unique features in Yangshuo. Owner and artist will paint or write something on the blank T-shirts there and then according to your taste, like portraits or opinions.

T-shirt booth in the West Street.

Some opinions are very funny like “No beer, No happiness”, or the front says “I’m rich” and the back tells “Actually I’m lying”, or “Laowai’s coming” in the front, “ Laowai’s gone” in the back.

It has long been a traditional way for fishermen to catch fish with fishing lanterns on the Li River at night in Yangshuo (a town near Guilin). Since 1999, this tradition has become the major part of a festival – Fishing Festival or Fishing Lantern Festival, which is hosted every November together with activities like fireworks, photographic contest, calligraphy contest, tug-of-war and so on.

The night fishing takes advantage of the natural habit of fish – they are easily be attracted by light at night. Fishermen hang lanterns on the ends of their bamboo crafts, draw the fish closer and closer, surround them with nets and let the trained cormorants dive into the water to catch them.

Yangshuo Night Fishing with Lanterns and Cormorants

It’s really amazing when dozens of bamboo crafts are sailing on the water with lanterns lighting up the night, and cormorants flutter their wings and dive into the water chasing the fish, leaving a glimmering night with echoing sound.

Yangshuo Fishing Festival, photo from 0773web.com

If you arrive in Yangshuo, go and take part in this activity or festival, then you will be aware of that what you see are hundreds of times better than what I said here.